From: gemini23x@gmail.com   
      
   THE MEDICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF ALCOHOL ABUSE   
   By Jason Tetro  Posted May 20, 2014   
       
   Nathaniel Currier, 1846   
   The Drunkard's Progress   
      
   Alcohol consumption has been a part of human activity for millennia though not   
   everyone does so responsibly. Back in the 1800s, public health officials first   
   took note of the issue of alcohol abuse, which was known then as intemperance.   
   They were keenly    
   aware there was a link between the amount of the fermented byproduct consumed   
   and both short and long term effects on personal health. Yet, while the social   
   and psychological impacts were apparent, the actual consequences at the   
   physiological level would    
   require time.   
      
   Over the last 150 years, the medical problems associated with alcohol have   
   been elucidated with more than enough concrete evidence to support them. The   
   major diseases include cardiovascular disorders, loss of bone mass, onset of   
   cancer and the most    
   common of all, liver disease. The compiled data also suggest the major   
   contributing factor is not the alcohol itself, but the inflammation caused by   
   its ingestion. The immune system is negatively affected, leading to the   
   propensity for more frequent    
   dysregulation.   
   Whenever inflammation is suspected as a cause of long-term medical   
   consequences, the microbiome must be taken into consideration. However, until   
   recently, little has been done to find any links between the nature of the   
   microbiota and the onset and/or    
   progression of disease. One of the few meaningful studies to show any links   
   was published in 2012 when an American team of researchers found chronic   
   alcohol consumption led to changes in the nature of the bacteria in the colon.   
   Yet how this change    
   happened and how it impacted health was left unanswered.   
   However, in the last few weeks, two important papers have been published to   
   highlight how bacteria contribute to the overall effects of alcoholism. The   
   first deals with the interactions between the host and the microbiome during   
   alcoholic liver disease.    
   The other reveals the effects on the microbiome and body as a result of only   
   one binge drinking event.   
   Alcohol liver disease (ALD) is the most common liver-related medical problem   
   and has been intensively studied to both understand as well as help to resolve   
   the condition. Unfortunately, there are few answers. What has been known is   
   the understanding of    
   the gut-liver axis, in which changes in the gastrointestinal system contribute   
   directly to functions in the liver. With this information at hand, a duo from   
   the University of California took a closer look at how the gut-liver axis may   
   involve the    
   microbiome. What they found highlighted the scope of the problem and the   
   reasons for its intransience.   
   Instead of only one specific link, they found many. The first confirmed the   
   earlier observations of a change in the microbiome. As alcoholism progressed,   
   the gut underwent a form of dysbiosis. The levels of good bacteria, such as   
   the probiotic    
   Lactobacillus, dropped while those of potential pathogens rose. They also   
   highlighted an overgrowth of these bad bacteria leading to an increase in   
   toxins and other liver-damaging chemicals. Inflammation would subsequently   
   occur, leading to increased    
   permeability of the gut. At this point, those damaging byproducts would be   
   easily translocated to the blood serum and the liver. Over time, the damage   
   would become unstoppable and eventually, disease would occur.   
   The long-term effects revealed the importance of the microbiome in alcohol   
   disease and the need for moderation in consumption over time. Yet, the data   
   offered little to demonstrate the immediate effects of a binge night. That,   
   however, was unveiled by a    
   team from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, who found that even   
   one abusive night of drinking could have significant health consequences much   
   worse than a hangover.   
   The team asked a group of 11 males and 14 females, none of whom had any   
   history of alcohol abuse, to drink enough alcohol to qualify for a binge   
   drinking session. For the next 4 hours, at 30 minute intervals, and at 24   
   hours after consumption, blood was    
   drawn and tested for levels of toxins, immunological activity and bacteria   
   activity. As expected, all levels were raised significantly over the first few   
   hours, suggesting a process of bacterial overgrowth and subsequent   
   inflammation was occurring.   
   Based on the results, the short term effects appeared to mimic the long-term   
   ones. With a single drinking event, the bacteria were activated - presumably   
   through alcohol-related environmental stress - leading to an increase in toxin   
   production.    
   Inflammation was then triggered, leading to permeability and translocation of   
   the toxins into the blood. The overall effect on the body would lead to   
   decreased feeling of wellness due to inflammation as well as other behavioral   
   problems including fatigue,   
    mood changes, cognitive dysfunction and disturbances in sleep rhythm.   
   While the studies reveal the detrimental consequences of both binge drinking   
   as well as overall long term abuse, neither focused on the effects of moderate   
   drinking. In contrast, other studies have highlighted benefits from the   
   occasional bottle of beer,    
   glass of wine or shot of liquor. Ironically, the mechanism behind this   
   positive result is manifested through the reduction of inflammation.   
   The dichotomy of the research reveals the double-edged sword that is alcohol.   
   When used properly, it may be good for you yet when abused; it can lead to   
   immediate as well as lasting problems. In terms of the best way to move   
   forward, especially with the    
   Memorial weekend approaching, the best way forward can be best summarized as   
   follow: you can have a good time with some alcohol but if you end up running a   
   tear, it might cost you and your microbiome dearly.   
        
      
   http://www.popsci.com/blog-network/under-microscope/medical-and-   
   icrobiological-consequences-alcohol-abuse   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)